Veterans slam young politicians

JAKARTA: Seniors grouped under the Barisan Nasional (Barnas), an independent veterans group, challenged young politicians on Thursday to prove their commitment to the state and people or resign from the legislative election.

Barnas, whose members are mostly retired military officers, also called on the people exercise their wisdom on election day by voting for the best candidates.

The group did not go into details about the candidates who fit its criteria.

"It's pitiful that none of the political parties have proposed a solution to help the country recover from the multiple crises it is facing. No progress has been made during the so-called reform era, as rampant corruption, collusion and nepotism remain widespread," Kemal Idris, a retired three-star Army general, told a press conference at the Barnas office in South Jakarta.

Attendees at the conference included former minister of mines and energy Soebroto, retired two-star Army general and incumbent chairman of the University of Indonesia alumni association Haryadi Darmawan and former Golkar secretary-general Rachmat Witoelar.

"We challenge these young politicians to show us, as voters, whether they are aware of existing national and social problems," Kemal said. -- JP